Abortion Reform Action Group (A.R.A.G.) /Records

98/07

MS Title: 
Abortion Reform Action Group papers
MS Date: 
c1960 - 1985
MS Extent: 
51 files
MS Physical description: 
manuscripts, typescripts, printed material, photographs
MS Historical note: 

The Abortion Reform Action Group (A.R.A.G) was founded on 16th July 1972. June Cope started the group after reading of a back-street abortion case in which the mother had died. A.R.A.G. therefore sought to advocate early, safe, legal abortions. Legal reform was thus called for in order to eliminate self-induced and unskilled abortions. A.R.A.G.'s membership firmly believed that the Abortion and Sterilization Act of 1975 failed to sufficiently protect the rights of women and mothers by refusing the use of abortion as a means of fertility control. A.R.A.G thus advocated a woman's right to abortion on request within the first three months of an unwanted pregnancy. Broadly speaking, the group fought for women's rights in terms of abortion not only legally and medically, but also socially, by disseminating information regarding abortion to all sectors of South African Society.

MS File list: 
Online
MS Scope and Content: 

The A.R.A.G. records comprise 51 files, the last two of which were donated to the Campbell Collections some thirteen years after the initial donation of material. The papers were part of June Cope's personal collection and contain a wide variety of sources which centre not only on the issue of abortion, but also on gender issues in general. The collection contains various newsletters which would prove useful to any researcher interested in gender issues as they date from the 1970s and 1980s. When donated to the Campbell Collections the collection was already organised. The contents of the files reflect this order which has to a large extent been retained.  Researchers may also wish to consult another collection, the June Cope papers, which complements the above.

MS Shelf: 
ABO
MS Provenance: 
Donation
MS Local system number: 
KCAL309368

Manuscript Inventory:

98/07/051

MS Item Dates

-

MS Item Description

Newspaper cuttings regarding the Derk Crichton abortion trial.

98/07/050

MS Item Dates

1973 - December 1974

MS Item Description

Report of the Commission of Inquiry into the Abortion and Sterilisation Bill, 1973.

Report of the Select Committee on the Abortion and Sterilisation Bill, 1973.

Memoranda submitted to the Commission from other organisations.

Correspondence to and from Helen Suzman regarding the Commission.

98/07/049

MS Item Dates

-

MS Item Description

Transparencies and photographs.

98/07/048

MS Item Dates

-

MS Item Description

Newspaper cuttings.

98/07/047

MS Item Dates

-

MS Item Description

Newspaper cuttings.

98/07/046

MS Item Dates

-

MS Item Description

Newspaper cuttings.

98/07/045

MS Item Dates

1977 - 1983

MS Item Description

Published material.

98/07/044

MS Item Dates

1970 - 1976

MS Item Description

Published material.

98/07/043

MS Item Dates

January 1973 - 1983

MS Item Description

Printed journals and articles from journals.

Pages

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